diff --git a/runner/sidecar/sources.go b/runner/sidecar/sources.go
index 607654f8..3a21b302 100644
--- a/runner/sidecar/sources.go
+++ b/runner/sidecar/sources.go
@@ -129,18 +129,10 @@ func connectKafkaSource(ctx context.Context, x *dfv1.Kafka, sourceName string, f
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	adminClient, err := sarama.NewClusterAdmin(x.Brokers, config)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
 	beforeClosers = append(beforeClosers, func(ctx context.Context) error {
 		logger.Info("closing kafka client", "source", sourceName)
 		return client.Close()
 	})
-	beforeClosers = append(beforeClosers, func(ctx context.Context) error {
-		logger.Info("closing kafka admin client", "source", sourceName)
-		return adminClient.Close()
-	})
 	groupName := pipelineName + "-" + stepName + "-source-" + sourceName + "-" + x.Topic
 	group, err := sarama.NewConsumerGroup(x.Brokers, groupName, config)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -161,13 +153,22 @@ func connectKafkaSource(ctx context.Context, x *dfv1.Kafka, sourceName string, f
 		return handler.Close()
 	})
 	if leadReplica() {
-		registerKafkaSetPendingHook(x, sourceName, client, adminClient, groupName)
+		registerKafkaSetPendingHook(x, sourceName, client, config, groupName)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
 
-func registerKafkaSetPendingHook(x *dfv1.Kafka, sourceName string, client sarama.Client, adminClient sarama.ClusterAdmin, groupName string) {
+func registerKafkaSetPendingHook(x *dfv1.Kafka, sourceName string, client sarama.Client, config *sarama.Config, groupName string) {
 	prePatchHooks = append(prePatchHooks, func(ctx context.Context) error {
+		adminClient, err := sarama.NewClusterAdmin(x.Brokers, config)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		defer func() {
+			if err := adminClient.Close(); err != nil {
+				logger.Error(err, "failed to close Kafka admin client", "source", sourceName)
+			}
+		}()
 		partitions, err := client.Partitions(x.Topic)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to get partitions for %q: %w", sourceName, err)